Hismannerwasnoteffusive。Itseldomwas；buthewasglad，I
think，toseeme。Withhardlyawordspoken，butwithakindlyeye，hewavedmetoanarmchair，threwacrosshiscaseofcigars，andindicatedaspiritcaseandagasogeneinthecorner。Thenhestoodbeforethefire，andlookedmeoverinhissingularintrospectivefashion。
“Wedlocksuitsyou，“heremarked。“Ithink，Watson，thatyouhaveputonsevenandahalfpoundssinceIsawyou。“
“Seven，“Ianswered。
“Indeed，Ishouldhavethoughtalittlemore。Justatriflemore，Ifancy，Watson。Andinpracticeagain，Iobserve。Youdidnottellmethatyouintendedtogointoharness。“
“Thenhowdoyouknow？“
“Iseeit，Ideduceit。HowdoIknowthatyouhavebeengettingyourselfverywetlately，andthatyouhaveamostclumsyandcarelessservantgirl？“
“MydearHolmes，“saidI，“thisistoomuch。Youwouldcertainlyhavebeenburnedhadyoulivedafewcenturiesago。ItistruethatIhadacountrywalkonThursdayandcamehomeinadreadfulmess；butasIhavechangedmyclothes，Ican’timaginehowyoudeduceit。AstoMaryJane，sheisincorrigible，andmywifehasgivenhernotice；butthereagainIfailtoseehowyouworkitout。“
Hechuckledtohimselfandrubbedhislongnervoushandstogether。
“Itissimplicityitself，“saidhe，“myeyestellmethatontheinsideofyourleftshoe，justwherethefirelightstrikesit，theleatherisscoredbysixalmostparallelcuts。Obviouslytheyhavebeencausedbysomeonewhohasverycarelesslyscrapedroundtheedgesofthesoleinordertoremovecrustedmudfromit。Hence，yousee，mydoubledeductionthatyouhadbeenoutinvileweather，andthatyouhadaparticularlymalignantboot-slickingspecimenoftheLondonslavey。Astoyourpractice，ifagentlemanwalksintomyrooms，smellingofiodoform，withablackmarkofnitrateofsilveruponhisrightforefinger，andabulgeonthesideofhistophattoshowwherehehassecretedhisstethoscope，ImustbedullindeedifIdonotpronouncehimtobeanactivememberofthemedicalprofession。“
Icouldnothelplaughingattheeasewithwhichheexplainedhisprocessofdeduction。“WhenIhearyougiveyourreasons，“I
remarked，“thethingalwaysappearstomesoridiculouslysimplethatIcouldeasilydoitmyself，thoughateachsuccessiveinstanceofyourreasoningIambaffled，untilyouexplainyourprocess。Andyet，Ibelievethatmyeyesareasgoodasyours。“
“Quiteso，“heanswered，lightingacigarette，andthrowinghimselfdownintoanarmchair。“Yousee，butyoudonotobserve。Thedistinctionisclear。Forexample，youhavefrequentlyseenthestepswhichleadupfromthehalltothisroom。“
“Frequently。“
“Howoften？“
“Well，somehundredsoftimes。“
“Thenhowmanyarethere？“
“Howmany？Idon’tknow。“
“Quiteso！Youhavenotobserved。Andyetyouhaveseen。Thatisjustmypoint。Now，Iknowthereareseventeensteps，becauseI
havebothseenandobserved。Bytheway，sinceyouareinterestedintheselittleproblems，andsinceyouaregoodenoughtochronicleoneortwoofmytriflingexperiences，youmaybeinterestedinthis。“Hethrewoverasheetofthickpink-tintednotepaperwhichhadbeenlyingopenuponthetable。“Itcamebythelastpost，“saidhe。“Readitaloud。“
Thenotewasundated，andwithouteithersignatureoraddress。
“Therewillcalluponyouto-night，ataquartertoeighto’clock，“
itsaid，“agentlemanwhodesirestoconsultyouuponamatteroftheverydeepestmoment。YourrecentservicestooneoftheroyalhousesofEuropehaveshownthatyouareonewhomaysafelybetrustedwithmatterswhichareofanimportancewhichcanhardlybeexaggerated。Thisaccountofyouwehavefromallquartersreceived。Beinyourchamber，then，atthathour，anddonottakeitamissifyourvisitorwearsamask。“
“Thisisindeedamystery，“Iremarked。“Whatdoyouimaginethatitmeans？“
“Ihavenodatayet。Itisacapitalmistaketotheorizebeforeonehasdata。Insensiblyonebeginstotwistfactstosuittheories，insteadoftheoriestosuitfacts。Butthenoteitself——
whatdoyoudeducefromit？“
Icarefullyexaminedthewriting，andthepaperuponwhichitwaswritten。
“Themanwhowroteitwaspresumablywelltodo，“Iremarked，endeavoringtoimitatemycompanion’sprocesses。“Suchpapercouldnotbeboughtunderhalfacrownapacket。Itispeculiarlystrongandstiff。“
“Peculiar——thatistheveryword，“saidHolmes。“ItisnotanEnglishpaperatall。Holdituptothelight。“
Ididso，andsawalargeEwithasmallg，aPandalargeGwithasmalltwovenintothetextureofthepaper。
“Whatdoyoumakeofthat？“askedHolmes。
“Thenameofthemaker，nodoubt；orhismonogram，rather。“
“Notall。TheGwiththesmalltstandsfor’Gesellschaft，’whichistheGermanfor’Company。’Itisacustomarycontractionlikeour’Co。’P，ofcourse，standsfor’Papier。’NowfortheEg。Letusglanceatour’ContinentalGazetteer。“Hetookdownaheavybrownvolumefromhisshelves。“Eglow，Eglonitz——hereweare，Egria。ItisinaGerman-speakingcountry——inBohemia，notfarfromCarlsbad。’RemarkableasbeingthesceneofthedeathofWallenstein，andforitsnumerousglassfactoriesandpapermills。’
Ha！ha！myboy，whatdoyoumakeofthat？“Hiseyessparkled，andhesentupagreatbluetriumphantcloudfromhiscigarette。
“ThepaperwasmadeinBohemia，“Isaid。
“Precisely。AndthemanwhowrotethenoteisaGerman。Doyounotethepeculiarconstructionofthesentence——’Thisaccountofyouwehavefromallquartersreceived’？AFrenchmanorRussiancouldnothavewrittenthat。ItistheGermanwhoissouncourteoustohisverbs。Itonlyremains，therefore，todiscoverwhatiswantedbythisGermanwhowritesuponBohemianpaper，andpreferswearingamasktoshowinghisface。Andherehecomes，ifIamnotmistaken，toresolveallourdoubts。“
Ashespoketherewasthesharpsoundofhorses’hoofsandgratingwheelsagainstthecurb，followedbyasharppullatthebell。
Holmeswhistled。
“Apair，bythesound，“saidhe。“Yes，“hecontinued，glancingoutofthewindow。“Anicelittlebroughamandapairofbeauties。A
hundredandfiftyguineasapiece。There’smoneyinthiscase，Watson，ifthereisnothingelse。“
“IthinkIhadbettergo，Holmes。“
“Notabit，doctor。Staywhereyouare。IamlostwithoutmyBoswell。Andthispromisestobeinteresting。Itwouldbeapitytomissit。“
“Butyourclient——“
“Nevermindhim。Imaywantyourhelp，andsomayhe。Herehecomes。Sitdowninthatarmchair，doctor，andgiveusyourbestattention。“
Aslowandheavystep，whichhadbeenhearduponthestairsandinthepassage，pausedimmediatelyoutsidethedoor。Thentherewasaloudandauthoritativetap。
“Comein！“saidHolmes。
Amanenteredwhocouldhardlyhavebeenlessthansixfeetsixinchesinheight，withthechestandlimbsofaHercules。Hisdresswasrichwitharichnesswhichwould，inEngland，belookeduponasakintobadtaste。Heavybandsofastrakhanwereslashedacrossthesleevesandfrontofhisdouble-breastedcoat，whilethedeepbluecloakwhichwasthrownoverhisshoulderswaslinedwithflame-coloredsilk，andsecuredattheneckwithabroochwhichconsistedofasingleflamingberyl。Bootswhichextendedhalfwayuphiscalves，andwhichweretrimmedatthetopswithrichbrownfur，completedtheimpressionofbarbaricopulencewhichwassuggestedbyhiswholeappearance。Hecarriedabroad-brimmedhatinhishand，whileheworeacrosstheupperpartofhisface，extendingdownpastthecheek-bones，ablackvisardmask，whichhehadapparentlyadjustedthatverymoment，forhishandwasstillraisedtoitasheentered。Fromthelowerpartofthefaceheappearedtobeamanofstrongcharacter，withathick，hanginglip，andalong，straightchin，suggestiveofresolutionpushedtothelengthofobstinacy。
“Youhadmynote？“heasked，withadeep，harshvoiceandastronglymarkedGermanaccent。“ItoldyouthatIwouldcall。“Helookedfromonetotheotherofus，asifuncertainwhichtoaddress。
“Praytakeaseat，“saidHolmes。“Thisismyfriendandcolleague，DoctorWatson，whoisoccasionallygoodenoughtohelpmeinmycases。WhomhaveIthehonortoaddress？“
“YoumayaddressmeastheCountvonKramm，aBohemiannobleman。I
understandthatthisgentleman，yourfriend，isamanofhonoranddiscretion，whomImaytrustwithamatterofthemostextremeimportance。Ifnot，Ishouldmuchprefertocommunicatewithyoualone。“
Irosetogo，butHolmescaughtmebythewristandpushedmebackintomychair。“Itisboth，ornone，“saidhe。“Youmaysaybeforethisgentlemananythingwhichyoumaysaytome。“
Thecountshruggedhisbroadshoulders。“ThenImustbegin，“saidhe，“bybindingyoubothtoabsolutesecrecyfortwoyears；attheendofthattimethematterwillbeofnoimportance。AtpresentitisnottoomuchtosaythatitisofsuchweightthatitmayhaveaninfluenceuponEuropeanhistory。“
“Ipromise，“saidHolmes。
“AndI。“